On April 1, 2025, voters in McLean County will vote on a 1% County Schools Facility Tax, also known as a one-cent tax. All school districts across McLean County have united to bring forward this request.
If approved, the one-cent tax will provide Olympia CUSD 16 with:
- Safety, security, and support, providing revenue for things like school resource officers and mental health providers
- Facility upgrades such as roof repairs, replacing doors, and completing the Ag/STEM classroom spaces, and adding a multipurpose space to the OHMS campus
- Property tax stability for homeowners- Districts can use the one-cent tax revenue to offset eligible expenses, and as a result, reduce the reliance on property taxes to cover these costs.
Learn more about how this referendum can make a difference by visiting our webpage at www.april1cent.info or contact us!
#april1cent
Help your children analyze the info around them, from toy packaging to Instagram posts to news headlines, and question the purpose of the words and images they see. Teach kids how to use fact-checking tools like Snopes and FactCheck.org.
Be a rebel and break the rules tomorrow!
With so much media and information coming at us through the television, phones, social media, and more, it's more important than ever for kids to understand the basics of media literacy. When kids can identify different types of news and media and the methods and meanings behind them, they're on their way to being critical thinkers and smart consumers.
Throughout the month, we will be sharing a set of five tips to help your children become critical thinkers of news and media. Here is a short video to get those conversations started!
bit.ly/OlyNMV5
It's FINALLY February!
Order your Olympia North Elementary Yearbook today! Online ordering is preferred, however the office will accept cash or checks (payable to Olympia North Elementary). Paper order forms will be sent home today.
Video: bit.ly/OlyNMV1
Family Activity: Decoding Images. bit.ly/OlyNMFR1
Kids find and read news in lots of different ways. But studies show they're not very good at interpreting what they see. How can we help them get better? Teaching your children about the structure of online news articles is an important place to start.
If you want to know if someone is trying to trick you with a headline, think through a few of these five questions each time you read a shocking story. Don't let them pull the wool over your eyes Spartans!
Outside calls to Olympia North may result in a busy signal or never-ending ring tone at the moment. While the issue is being resolved, you can call the unit office at 1-309-379-6011 and they can transfer you internally to the Olympia North office. Thank you!
Illnesses are on the rise. Please take a moment to read the illness guidelines linked below .
https://sites.google.com/olympia.org/olympia-district-16-health/illness-guidelines
The NHS sponsored Princess Tea Party will take place on Sunday, February 2 from 1-3 pm at the Olympia High School cafeteria. The event features games, crafts, bouncy house, face painting and a ROYAL RUNWAY! Come dressed in your finest royal outfits and meet the princesses! Cost is $5 at the door. Reservations recommended. Email amanda.hapgood@olympia.org
OHS Dance Mini Clinic
January Refrigerator Reminders
Happy New Year!
Video Link: bit.ly/olyRCv2
"It's complicated" can describe many of our relationships with others, both romantic and otherwise. Add digital devices and social media to the mix, and things get complicated even further.
:: Develop their instincts ::
Help kids trust their guts so they can exit iffy or inappropriate online conversations. Discuss different scenarios and ask how they would feel and what they would do.
Oly North Holiday Spirit Week!
:: Help kids navigate online friendships ::
In the beginning, you might limit all communication with strangers online. As kids get older, you can monitor any online chatting. Once they're more independent, you can discuss which methods of communication are appropriate.
Video Link: bit.ly/olyRCv6
For most kids, being on social media can mean connecting with friends, sharing pictures, and keeping up-to-date. But it can also mean big-time distractions, social pressures, and more. Help your kids navigate the different feelings they may already be experiencing on social media.
In this video, kids hear what other teens have to say about using social media to connect with friends, consider the complications and distractions that can happen, and think critically about how social media affects their own relationships.
:: Play a game of telephone ::
Discuss how a message can change depending on the person delivering it or the delivery method. Read a question like "What are you doing?" with different tones of voice. How do emoji and punctuation help communicate tone and emotion in texts?
